Young Bakoteh promising Gambian footballer Ebrima Darboe made his debut last weekend in Italian Serie A (Sunday) as AS Roma traveled to Genoa. The Gambian defensive midfielder, who was not predestined for a footballing future, grabbed few minutes in the elite of Italian football.
Born in 2001, Ebrima Darboe arrived in Italy alone as an unaccompanied minor in 2017, after passing through the hell of the illegal migrant camps in Libya. Saved at sea by the Italian Coast Guard in Rieti, he began the path of integration that led him (among many obstacles) to Serie A’s AS Roma.
Despite his hard way experience in Italy, Ebrima continues to exercise his passion for football. Assigned to the Under-19 team of AS Roma in 2018, he played in the Youth Champions League and progressively in the Italian league in his category.
Having signed a contract in 2019, Ebrima Darboe is linked with the Roman club until 2023. His performances in Primavera this season (18 games, 5 goals, and 2 assists) seduced the coach of the first team Paulo Fonseca who appealed to him several times to train with the first team.
Against Genoa’s Sampdoria on the weekend of Elite Matchday 34, Ebrima came on in the 83rd minute, making his baptism of fire in Serie A. Ebrima Darboe was a strong sensation for AS Roma despite the defeat of his club. It is a new page in his career and “the fulfillment of a dream” Ebrima talked about when signing his contract with AS Roma.
Given his Sunday performance and following his progress, Ebrima Darboe could be part of Coach Tom Saintfiet’s list for the next AFCON in 2022 in Cameroon.